busy weekend

for those of you faithful readers and those of you just stopping by - i wanted to give a quick update on our weekend, with pictures to follow.

yesterday we went around the perimeter of jerusalem, studying the approaches to jerusalem. we visited mount of olives, bethlehem, the herodian, etc... it was a full day with much to see. tim continues to take lots of pictures, so i will do my best trying to remember everything as i am writing descriptions for the pictures tomorrow. it was so fun to visit places we were unable to see the last time we were here (because it wasn't safe). thankfully things are much more peaceful now and going into bethlehem and parts of the west bank are safe.

today we spent hiking around the negev, which is near the dead sea. i think it is safe to say we both got some sun and enjoyed a day of being warm. many good conversations on the trail with people and a good distance covered. needless to say we are tired and thankful for a morning to sleep in a little tomorrow.

tomorrow tim has his first test :) i am staying home in the morning and will go shopping with francswa in the afternoon. i have been wanting something to cover my head, to try to blend a little bit more in the old city. so she and i will go searching tomorrow. i asked her to go with me to spend time with her and knowing she would take me to good shops. in the midst of asking her and elena to go shopping with me elena figured out what i was wanting to shop for. she immediately ran out of the room and came back with a huge bag full of scarves. she proceeded to go through them and picked out one for me. she showed me how to wear it and was delighted with how it looked. another thoughtful gift from a generous woman.